The Truesdale Brothers: Influence and Admiration
by brip1296
Summary: Zane tried to leave behind the strong brotherly bond he and Syrus had shared, if only to make Syrus grow stronger. No matter what happened between them though, Syrus' love for his big brother would never change. One night, haunted by nightmares and ready to snap, he seeks care from a side of Zane neither Truesdale expected to encounter again. Please R&R, concrit highly appreciated!


"_Zane?"_

_The elder Truesdale brother wasn't yet asleep; the appearance of his little brother at his bedroom door at well past bedtime for both of them was a recurring one, and he had learned to expect these visits almost every night on some weeks._

_Zane sat up in his bed, looking to the doorway, where light flooded in from the hall, and sure enough, Syrus was standing just outside of the room, staring wide-eyed at his older brother and evidently trying not to sniffle even though he was harshly trembling. "What is it, Syrus?" the darker-haired of the two bluenettes feigned a yawn and rubbed one of his eyes with his hand, with the hopes of appearing tired to Syrus._

_The seven year-old bought it, "Did I wake you up?" he appeared to feel quite guilty, and looked down at the floor._

"_Was it another nightmare?" Zane dodged the question, instead retorting with one of his own. Syrus nodded,_

"_Uh-huh... It was really bad this time," something he said on every night like this, "C-Can I sleep with you?"_

_Zane gave a soft smile, scooting over just slightly in the bed well over twice the size it should've been for a boy his age, and he patted the mattress, "Sure thing, kiddo."_

"_I wish you wouldn't call me that... You're only two years older than me..." for a moment it seemed as if Syrus' fear had dwindled as he corrected his brother, but he made his way to the bed with the same terrified look that he'd had for the past few minutes, climbing in and settling a few inches away from Zane, letting himself be covered by the thick blanket that Zane draped over the both of them._

_Syrus would drift off to sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow that Zane lent him, and for just a while, he'd be peaceful._

_However, both of the Truesdale children had a bad habit of shifting in their sleep, Syrus much more than Zane, and they'd always wake up with one of them halfway off the bed and the other spread almost horizontally across it. No matter how he woke up though, Syrus was simply happy to have his big brother protecting him._

_After a few weeks of this keeping up, Zane started sleeping at the edge of his side, and Syrus in the center, whenever the little one had a night terror. This kept either of them from moving too much, surprisingly, but that changed given a few days into the routine. It became often that Zane would wake up with Syrus tightly latched on to him, and more often that Syrus would opt to sleep in Zane's room. The fact that he was welcomed into this protection made it so he wasn't as guilty about waking Zane nearly every night, and the fact that Syrus trusted him so much made Zane happy in return._

By the time that Syrus started Duel Academy, Zane was a senior and top student at the school, and it was very evident that the two, who had once been so close, somewhere along the road to this point had more than a falling out.

Zane grew up. He became much more serious and very distant, working his hardest to become someone that would be remembered, someone who made a name for himself among the best.

Syrus seemed stuck in a rut of zero confidence and self-esteem, and he very much resembled the shy little boy he had been all those years ago. He looked like he was, at the most, eleven, still shaky and timid, and as Zane once put it when it was learned that Syrus had been accepted into the entrance exams to get into Duel Academy, Syrus was "too kind for dueling".

Syrus showed hidden perseverance, much to the surprise of everyone who did and didn't believe in the small and frail boy, and made it into Duel Academy by passing the entrance exams. Zane kept a watchful eye as Syrus seemingly overnight became best friends with fellow Slifer Red student Jaden Yuki, who quickly seemed to become the thorn in the sides of a lot of people on campus. Nothing changed between them; Zane still felt that Syrus wasn't at all confident and strong enough to duel, and Syrus endlessly sought his brother's approval of his abilities. People couldn't help but wonder why Syrus worked so hard to get the attention of a sibling who obviously had no interest, and why Syrus even cared what his brother thought of him.

Syrus never had an answer.

Others asked why Zane didn't just pretend that Syrus wasn't his brother, or pretend that one of them was adopted. They asked why Zane gave a damn about "the family disgrace".

Zane told them that it was because he loved his little brother.

He didn't want to pretend that Syrus wasn't there, but he did want his brother to flourish without having to run for Zane's help every time he had a problem. So he remained cold, distant and stoic. The most he would do was give Syrus advice in passing from time to time as he watched the little one's progress from afar during his first few months at the Academy.

But Syrus was nothing like Zane, independence didn't come easy to him. Syrus hated feeling alone, even if it was just for a few minutes. Jaden wouldn't have said anything, mostly because he enjoyed the bluenette's company, but almost everyone else noticed how clingy Syrus tended to be.

It was hard to tell what Zane was thinking at any time. He normally looked unamused for the most part and seeing a genuine smile from him was a very rare thing, rare enough to prompt someone to question the Obelisk's health.

It was the opposite for his little brother; Syrus was like a child. If something made him upset, it easily showed through his voice or from the look in his eyes. He was easily amused by a lot of things, even giggling at nearly every one of Jaden's terrible puns that came out during duels.

Both brothers knew that Syrus would never be like Zane, but that was all he aspired to be.

At nearly eleven at night, Zane wondered with great contempt who could possibly have the nerve to bother him at this hour, knocking at the door softly at first and growing louder each time the bluenette tried to ignore it. He was an Obelisk Blue, for Ra's sake, and top student at that, who dared to disturb his rest?

Another knock, and Zane finally pried himself from his bed- when he was comfy, exhausted, and looking forward to the Saturday morning when he could sleep for an extra hour, it was tough to get Zane up- to slowly stalk towards the door, smoothing down his ruffled hair with his palm and on his way grabbing his black fleece robe to wear over the sleeveless pajama top of the same color.

The visitor was in for a world of trouble if this wasn't damn important, Zane's tired and irritable mind decided as he turned the cool metal door knob, pulling the door towards his body.

Not at all had he been expecting the small figure he saw standing before him, the little bluenette whom he towered over just like he did most other students.

"Zane?" Syrus brought his voice down to a whisper, frantic and paranoid of the other Obelisks in the building that were less than welcoming of the Slifer, even if he was Zane's little brother. The older Truesdale's impatience lessened by great amounts; sure, it was late as Hell, but a visit from the little one was, in some way, a pleasant surprise. However, he was still curious as to why Syrus was at his dorm room in the first place. By now, actually, hours ago, Syrus should've been passed out on his bunk back at the Slifer Red dorms.

"What are you doing here?" Zane asked, receiving a gesture to keep his voice down from Syrus, which sparked another thought, "Why are you so worried that I be quiet?"

"The others might hear me... They don't really like Slifers, if you haven't heard by now." Syrus gave half a glare before glancing around in a state of sudden panic. When he was sure he was okay to speak again, he gave his brother a pleading look, "Can I come in?"

It would be better for them to discuss whatever was on Syrus' mind in the safety of the room, Zane pointed out to himself, and welcomed the younger in.

"Syrus, what are you doing here?" Zane repeated as he followed the Slifer back into his room. Syrus seated himself on the edge of the bed, and gave a deer-in-the-headlights stare before looking down at the floor.

"I-I... I- um..." he was getting nervous, and always stammered and greatly struggled to collect his thoughts when this happened.

"Breathe." Zane knew this, and he knew it well. Syrus got himself worked up over small things frequently when they were growing up, and all it took to calm him down enough to use words was by telling him to breathe, Zane had quickly learned. The small bluenette obeyed, and silenced himself so he could intake a slow and deep breath, letting it out gently and repeating this a few times. "Better?"

Syrus nodded in response, realizing then that Zane still expected an answer. "H-Have... You've been sleeping well, right?" to Zane, it was an odd question, but nonetheless he gave a nod and let Syrus continue, "Any, uh, bad dreams lately?" the younger of the two stammered again, this time receiving a shake of the head from Zane, who now began to understand Syrus' motive in the visit.

"What about yourself? Or do you and Jaden stay up all night and crash during classes?" the questions for a moment had Syrus giggling. He tried to keep it silent, but there was a telltale sign- the covering of his mouth with both hands- to give it away. The smile faded and the very slight laughter stopped, however, and Syrus seemed to cringe when he thought for a reply. Syrus looked up at Zane for a second, then back down at his feet and he muttered something that the elder didn't quite catch. "Can you repeat that?"

"I've been trying, I really have- honest- I just can't..." the petite bluenette trailed off. When it was suggested that he may have insomnia and should get it checked out, resistance sparked in him, "I don't want to sleep, the nightmares are too bad." he finally forced it out, and hoped that he didn't sound too pathetic.

_Nightmares...?_ Sure, Syrus got worked up easily and frequently, but it took a lot to make him crack. The kid had endurance. "I don't want to be alone... In case I start to fall asleep." the Slifer admitted.

"But you have Jaden, and the dropout kid." speaking of Jaden, Zane had to ask himself why his little brother had chosen to go to him with this problem instead of the brunette.

"I don't feel any better just because Jay and Chumley are there."

Now _that_ was something that honestly had surprised the Obelisk. He'd thought that with Syrus, it only mattered that he had someone with him, no matter who it was.

"Tell me what your dreams are about. What do you see in your nightmares, Syrus?"

A whimper was let out by Syrus. He shook his head frantically, "I can't tell you. I don't even want to think about them..." his eyes squeezed shut and his hands clamped down on the blanket he was sitting on, and he desperately tried not to let escape any more sounds like the one just released. This only succeeded in a choked sob, one that he knew was heard by his brother, and Syrus waited for the scolding to begin.

Zane wasn't sure what it was that caused it, but something struck him with a pang that made his chest ache, and a brotherly instinct he thought he'd left behind a long time ago made its way to the surface. When the mattress sank and there was a sudden warmth from the presence of his brother beside him, Syrus nearly jumped from his seat, inhaling and exhaling deeply a few times to once again calm down. "They're really bad..." unfortunately, it failed to have much of a calming effect, and he sniffled, one fist balling so hard that his fingernails dug into his flesh well enough to leave a slight indent.

"How long has this been going on?"

"A while." just how long was a while? Zane sighed; this was getting nowhere. Syrus continued, however, and did bring forth new information, "I just... didn't want to be alone tonight."

Every night it was the same thing. It was the same subject, the same loss, the same fear tormenting him over and over again. They would start with the Truesdales, both in their youth. They would be happy for a time.

Then came the part Syrus dreaded every time. Zane would leave for Duel Academy at age fifteen.

Then he'd never come back.

Not one letter, or a visit on breaks. Nothing.

Then the body would be found. Different ways each night, Syrus would see all of it, and images would be burned into his mind like horrid scars, ones that haunted him when he was awake. Something would happen to Zane.

Syrus would lose him.

_If only I had been a better little bro, this wouldn't have happened!_ _If he didn't despise me he wouldn't have left!_

He didn't want to lose his big brother.

Every single scenario ended in the royal Blue's demise. One way or another, it happened. Syrus always saw the results; on some days it was a mangled and bloody mess, others occurred where the remains were cold and blue and lost to a body of water, even recently came nights were the corpse was burnt to a crisp.

"...Zane?"

"Hm?" Zane's gaze shifted to Syrus once more, the single sound being all Syrus needed as a signal to show his brother was listening.

Before he knew it, Zane was constricted by Syrus. He couldn't remember the last time Syrus had hugged him- maybe when they were kids, before Zane had even applied for the Duel Academy entrance exams- and he felt guilty that he was so unfamiliar with the action that it had made him deeply uncomfortable for the first few moments.

"I miss you."

The bluenette being spoken to didn't need any explanation from the younger. The growing apart had taken its toll on little Syrus, much the opposite of what Zane had hoped for. All he had wanted was for Syrus to become stronger, but Syrus didn't need distance and harsh words...

All Syrus wanted was a real bond with his brother, like he'd seen other kids have with their siblings growing up.

Once upon a time, they'd had that too.

Zane looked down at the face of his baby brother, who still shook against his body, and once more the very rare and forgotten nurturing side of him came out. He brought an arm around Syrus' shoulders, feeling Syrus twitch at the sudden warmth before settling quite comfortably into it and giving a low yawn. "Hey, don't fall asleep on me." Zane chuckled, tapping on Syrus' shoulder and using his free hand to try to get one of Syrus' arms off of him. Syrus only yawned again and made no effort to move. Hearing the laughter from Zane was soothing; it was a kind he hadn't heard since they were kids.

"Are you going to make me walk all the way back to my dorm?" Syrus groaned. Making the trip over had been bad enough on his exhausted little body, especially only in his pajamas. Now would be twice as bad. The night had gotten much darker, and this time of year it was bound to be colder at this hour, darkness and cold being two things that the bluenette hated.

"Sy, do you really think I'm _that_ heartless?" Zane scanned the area of the bed for a minute. It was definitely big enough for both of them, what with Syrus being so scrawny and small. He wouldn't have made Syrus go back to Slifer Red if it hadn't been, anyway; his baby brother needed his help, and for the first time in almost nine years, Zane wanted to be there for him.

Syrus only stared up at him in disbelief, once again looking like he was going to burst into tears, "Does that mean-" he choked on his breath, stuttering, "C-Can I sleep in here? W-With you?"

"Sure thing, kiddo."

Syrus shot him a tired glare, "Don't call me that... I'm sixteen years old."

"I know," Zane smiled, "But you're my kid brother, therefore I'm allowed to call you what I please." Syrus let go of him to let the older bluenette stand up, now giggling again. Zane, all too aware of Syrus' fear of darkness, decided to leave the lamp on for him, when usually he'd have turned it off and slept in the pitch black. When the overhead light was shut off, he returned to his bed, where Syrus already had chosen a spot near the middle, just far enough to the left for Zane to have enough space. Syrus had one of his two pillows and took most of the blanket, but the elder Truesdale didn't seem to mind, as he was still left with plenty of cover, and one pillow was enough for him.

Before he got settled, he removed his robe and let it rest at the foot of Syrus' side of the bed, taking care not to disturb the lithe figure next to him as he shifted.

"You know, Zane... This is kinda like old times, do you remember?" Syrus' voice was much softer now, and he rolled over on to his side so he was facing his brother.

Zane nodded. "Just don't let me wake up with your feet in my face." he was also getting tired, letting out his own deep yawn and letting his eyes close, arms locked together and resting at his chest.

"That was only once!"

"Goodnight, Syrus."

The younger of the two took the hint, smiling as he became silent.

Quickly the blanket wasn't providing enough warmth for Syrus. At first it had been okay, but unfortunately for him this room was cooler than he was preferred. Cautiously, Syrus inched closer to Zane, receiving no response when he did so. Within the minute, Syrus was happily burrowed into Zane's side, much warmer thanks to the larger body's heat.

* * *

The time that he woke up, Zane didn't know, but he assumed that it was close to the time that he usually did- called the "butt crack of dawn" by Syrus when they were younger- as he could see a very faint sliver of light through the curtains of his balcony window. Immediately he felt that something was off, even before he opened his eyes. Someone was in his room, in his bed, besides him. Not only was the mattress weighed down on his right, but whoever it was clung to him as if it were for dear life. It was only when a soft whimper escaped the mystery being that Zane remembered the events of last night. The sound was unmistakably that of his little brother, he'd heard it enough by now to know it like he knew his deck, and he could calm down just a bit with this knowledge.

Syrus was constricting his waist, causing his arm to be sandwiched between the bodies of the Slifer and Obelisk, and quite harshly so; if he hoped to wriggle it free, he would end up having to wake Syrus. How his arm had been pried from his chest was beyond him, especially since it had apparently been Syrus to do it. Was there something that made him more aggressive in his sleep?

Blue eyes fluttered and a yawn was released. Zane was able to move enough where he could sit up a little more, the new position much easier on his spine, and he took a minute to stare down at the tranquil face of the other Truesdale. When he had moved, Syrus had tightened his grip and his expression became troubled for just a second, but now he was back to the peaceful state of slumber, digging into Zane's chest with his head a little as he became comfortable once more.

_Does he ever take these off?_ Zane frowned when he saw that Syrus was still wearing his glasses. _It must be uncomfortable to sleep with them on_, the Obelisk noted. Even if the little one paid no mind to the discomfort, if he wasn't careful the lenses could wind up breaking, so Zane took care in removing the glasses from Syrus' face, placing them on the nightstand on the other side of his brother. Syrus twitched, and shook as his grip tightened yet again. It was gradually becoming harder for Zane to breathe and his arm was starting to feel numb, but he was too wrapped up in studying the features of the small bluenette's complexion to give much thought to any pain.

Syrus' face showed no signs of the nightmares that plagued him, but then again, Zane recalled, Syrus always tried to hide his problems, had he gotten so good at it that nowadays he did so in his sleep as well?

Instead of any terror, the Slifer's expression showed a serenity that Zane found strange. Even after suffering quite the emotional distress from his big brother's scorn, Syrus still trusted him enough to seek his help. It was only because his heart of gold wouldn't ever let him stop loving his big brother, no matter what happened between them or how much Zane put him through. _You have to see that I only do this to make you tougher, Syrus. _Zane finally wrenched his arm free of Syrus' deathly hold. _You're too kind for a place like this._

Despite all of the bullying and hardships that had come his way, Syrus remained joyful and innocent. It took a great deal of torment for him to have an outward display of his pain; he didn't get angry and snap at people, sometimes he didn't even wince he was so used to being put down all the time.

_You're an idiot... You keep trying until you get hurt, and no matter how much you fail, all you do is try and try again._

_And what do you do it for?_

_You do it to be like me._

Zane sighed, wrapping his arm around Syrus' shoulder and pulling the sleeping boy closer. This was met with a groan from Syrus, who buried his head into the neck of his older brother.

_Well, guess what; I'd do anything just to be a little more like you._


End file.
